U.S. Navy Cmdr. James Collins, officer in charge of wave one, thanked his sailors for their tireless efforts and many successes. U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Alan Tubbs, officer in charge of wave two, challenged his sailors to live up to the benchmarks established by wave one.

“With the words ‘I have relieved Cmdr. Collins as commander of Coastal Riverine Squadron One,’” said Van Stee, “Cmdr. Tubbs will assume the rights and responsibilities inherent with his position.”

Wave one conducted operations in the Horn of Africa since June 2013. In total, they spent more than 350 cumulative days underway as a group and conducted 95 high risk choke point transits without incident. Wave one also forged new territory for CRS units operating in HOA by establishing supplemental rules of engagement, creating memorandums of understanding with the Djiboutian navy and coast guard and developing best practices for future operations.

Wave one had 10 petty officer, two chief petty officer and one senior chief petty officer promotions while in theater. Additionally, 45 wave one sailors earned the enlisted expeditionary warfare specialist qualification while at Camp Lemonnier.

Coastal riverine squadrons, formerly known as maritime expeditionary security squadrons, were established in the wake of terrorist attacks abroad, in particular the 2000 bombing of the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) in Yemen.

Camp Lemonnier, the only enduring U.S. military base on the continent of Africa, supports coalition commands engaged in a full spectrum of operations across Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean.

For more news from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Africa, visit www.navy.mil/local/CAMPL/.